Theater Magician Tseng Hsiu-ling/戲劇魔法師─曾秀玲
According to statistics, there are currently 9 children's theater troupes in Taiwan that still present regular performances and are committed to the promotion of theater education. Of which, only one is located in Kaohsiung. These figures have brought mixed emotions to Ms. Tseng Hsiu-ling, directorof the Bean Theater. While Tseng is gratified that her theater takes up a place on the list, she is worried that the Bean Theater is the only professional children's theater in Kaohsiung and there will be more challenges ahead.
An enthusiast in children's theater, Tseng shows her care and brings enlightenment to children in Kaohsiung by presenting a play of the year and a drama series on a yearly basis. Her creative games and enlightening methods for learning has not only attracted a large audience of parents and children but also become the model for emulation to many teachers in elementary and junior high schools.
When young, Tseng was considered a child with retarded speech development and was placed in the "dummy" class. Nevertheless, her school days were filled with glorious achievements because she has a sensitive heart and observant eyes that made her a keen observer of people's facial expressions, a good actress, playwright, director, and folk song writer. Her versatile talents had won her many awards such as the best director award, the best playwright award, and the best leading actor award.
Tseng is like an emotion magician who always conjures up joy and confidence for children and makes boring school subjects interesting. Her unpleasant childhood has taught her to look at things from different perspectives and her personal experience also convinced her that even children considered "less smart" may have great achievements in theater and many other fields.
根據一項藝文調查統計，全台灣目前仍有持續演出及戲劇教育研發、推廣的兒童劇團一共有九家，其中八家在台北，另一家則是高雄的豆子劇團。這樣的調查結果，讓豆子劇團團長曾秀玲憂喜參半，喜的是豆子劇團為高雄兒童劇場爭得了一席之地；憂的是，身為港都唯一專業兒童劇團，未來要走的路還是很艱辛。
僅管每個月扛著11位專職人員的行政龐大開銷，曾秀玲還是以她招牌「巫婆笑聲」一笑置之，這個並無法阻擋她對兒童戲劇的熱愛，每年固定要推出一齣年度大戲和一部故事系列劇場，作為她對高雄孩子們的關愛與啟發。她發展的創造性遊戲啟發學習方法，不但為豆子劇團塑立戲劇風格，吸引親子觀眾，也贏得國中小教師競相學習觀摩的目標。
從86年科工館成立，曾秀玲作了南台灣20場「魔術師的袋子」，為「戲劇啟發學習」踏出了堅定的第一步，來自各方教師戲劇成長團或教育單位邀約不斷。87年豆子劇團正式成立，每年推出的新戲成為票房保証，孩子們爭著到劇場來找「搗蛋王子」，在「月亮是迎接太陽的天使」觀賞後不再對黑暗感到害怕，還有在「那天飛碟來過」分享他自己看見飛碟的心情故事...，每一齣新戲都成了孩子與家長最衷心的期待。
到底是什麼原因，讓這個以「巫婆笑聲」著稱的劇場阿姨贏得親子那麼多的會心一笑？
曾秀玲從小就被視為語言發展遲緩的孩子，讀的是牛頭班。但是，有一顆敏感的心與善於觀察的眼睛，使她從小就很會觀察人的表情，還會演戲、寫劇本、當導演、寫民歌...，為求學階段寫下光輝的紀錄，她還得過最佳導演獎、劇本獎，曾因反串得到最佳男主角。這種種的經歷，讓她後來從事戲戲教學時，總會想到Ｂ段班的孩子也有一片天空。
戲劇，成了曾秀玲與孩子溝通、傳遞觀念及人生態度的最佳途徑。她可以藉著戲劇或遊戲和孩子輕鬆上起自然課、數學課，透過戲劇她讓孩子接受自己負面情緒，學習分享與體諒的可貴。
曾秀玲就像一個心情魔術師，為孩子變出歡樂與信心，也把原本枯燥無趣的數理課變有趣了。童年的不順遂讓她時常能換個角度來看事情，也讓她有個多元的心胸來面對孩子的可能性。